Riding-harrow.



No. 694,45I. Patented Mar, 4, I902.

B. A LSUP.

RIDING ARROW.

(Application' filed my 18, 1901.) (No llodel.) 3S-heets$haet l.

n4: norms PETERS my. FHOTO LXTHO., WASHINGTON. n, c

694-,45l. Y Patented Mar. 4, I902.

" B. ALSUP. I

RIDING 'HARBUW. (Appligation filed May 18. 1 9 01.)

a Sheds- Sheet 2.

(No ma i.

. g uueufoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEN ALSUP, OF BLUFFCREEK, IOWA. I

RlDlNG-HARROW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,451, dated March 4, 1902.

Application filed May 18, 1901. Serial No. 60,876. (No model.) i

To all whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that LBEN ALSUP, a citizen of the county of Monroe and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Riding-HarroWs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to riding-barrows, the object in view being to provide, in connection with a suitable riding-frame, harrow-sections which are supported and carried thereby and capable of being adjusted up and down to suit conditions and also capable of being elevated entirely clear of the ground in driving to and from the place of operation.

The invention also has for its object to provide in connection with each of the harrowsections a plurality of rocking harrow-bars carrying the barrow-teeth, all ofsaid bars being coupled together, so that they may be rocked simultaneously for presenting the harrow-teet-h at any desired angle or pitch, the

, means for rocking the barrow-bars being under the immediate control of the rider in his seat on the machine. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide, in connection with the rocking harrowbars, lockingmeans for holding the harrowbars rigidly in their adjusted positions and other means for tripping the lockin g mechanism and permitting the barrow-bars to rock and theteeth to incline rearwardly whenever;

occasion requires. The barrow-teeth setting and tripping mechanisms are, like the harro welevating mechanism, arranged in such position as to be under theimmediate control of the rider seated upon the riding-frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support for the riding-frame consisting of rollers which travel in rear of the harrow sections and which are so mounted as to tilt on axes extending longitudinally of the machine-frame, thereby enabling the rollers to automatically adjust themselves toinequalities in the soil.

Withthe above and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in a rid ing-harrow embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and'c'laimed. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a riding-barrow constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. I

2 is a central vertical longitudinal section with a portion of the frame broken away to show the trip-lever. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the barrow-sections looking toward the inner side thereof. Fig. 5 is a vertical longi- Y tudinal section through one of the harrowsections,.showing the meansfor locking the harrow-bars. Fig. dis a detail perspective View of the central portion of one of the rollerframes, illustrating the manner of mounting the same upon the riding-frame of the machine.

Similar numerals of reference denote like partsin all figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the p resent invention I provide a suitable riding-frame, which is preferably of triangular shape, and'com prises a main central bar 1, to which are connected the forward ends of a pair of rearwardly-diverging side bars 2, all of said bars 1 and 2 being rigidly connected at their rear ends to an arched axle 3, the pendent end portions of which have attached thereto a pair of roller-frames, which, together with the rollers carried thereby, serve as a support for the riding-frame. The draft pole or tongue 4 is connected rigidly with thefront portion of theriding-frame and provided with suitable means for attaching draft-animals thereto.

Each of the roller-frames carries a pair of rollers 5, having their axes arranged in line with each other and mounted upon a common shaft 6, which is received in openings in the end bars 7 of the roller-frame and also in an intermediate central bar 8, the said bars being connected at one side by a longitudinal frame-bar 9 and at their opposite sides by a connecting rod or bar 10. I Extending upward from the central bar 8 is a standard 11, the upper portion of which is bent and extended horizontally to form a journal 12, which passes through a bearing in the lower end of one of the pendent extremities of the arched,

axle 3, the said journal extending in a direction parallel with the path of movement of the machine, whereby the roller frame is adapted to rock transversely for the purpose of allowing the rollers to adjust themselves to any unevenness in the ground. The extremity of the journal 12 is received in the eye 13 of a post 14, extending upward from the bar 8, and is threaded to receive a nut 15. By this means the roller-frames may be detached from the riding-frame of the machine and substituted by ordinary carrying-wheels when it is not necessary to use the rollers. The standard 11 is strengthened by means of an inclined brace 16, which extends from the upper portion of the standard 11 downward and connects at its opposite end with the bar 8, thus preventing the bending of the standard when the rollers come in contact with stu mps,rocks, and other unyielding obstacles.

It will be understood that two roller-frames are employed, each of which is connected centrally to one of the pendent ends of the arched axle, and each roller-frame is adapted to tilt and adjust itself independently of the other. As will hereinafter appear, two barrow-sections are employed, and the roller-frames, with the rollers mounted therein, are arranged to travel in rear of the harrow-sections and smooth and level the soil after it has been treated by the barrow-teeth. The ridingframe is also equipped with a rigidly-attached cross-bar 17 of sufficient length to locate the opposite ends thereof, respectively, over the centers of the barrow-sections, so as to form, in connection with other devices to be described, a means for supporting the harrowseetions and enabling the same to be raised and lowered.

Two barrow-sections 18 are employed, and they are arranged at opposite sides of the center of the machine, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and are coupled together at their front ends by means of a draft-bar 19, to which any desiredform of d raft-rigging 20 may be attached, so that the draft will be applied directly to the harrows, the draft being further applied directly to the end portions of the arched axle by means of connecting rods or chains 21, which are attached at their forward ends to the draft-bar and at their rear ends to the axle. Each of the harrow-sections comprises a pair of longitudinal side bars 22, arranged parallel to each other and also parallel with an intermediate centrally-arranged bar 23. Journaled in the bars 22 and 23 is a series of barrow-bars 24. Any number of these harrow-bars may be employed, and they are arranged parallel with each other, as shown, and endwise movement of such bars is prevented by means of pins 25, connected with the bars 24 and arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal bars 22 and 23, as shown. The inner and outer ends ofthe harrow-bars are arranged out of line with each other, so as to give a staggered arrangement to the harrowteeth (represented at 26) for the purpose of more thoroughly breaking up the soil. While the barrow-bars are adapted to oscillate or rock in their bearings in the frame of the harrow-section, they are prevented from moving end wise. The bars 22 and 23 are braced relatively to each other by means of the diagonal rods 27, and the barrow-teeth are individually secured to their respective bars by clips 28, which admit of the removal of the teeth for purposes of sharpening or renewal.

In order to simultaneously rock the several harrow-bars, each bar is provided with a crank-arm 29, extending upward therefrom and pivotally connected to a coupling-bar 30. This coupling-bar 30 is arranged parallel with the frame of the barrow-section and is pivotally connected to the extremity of each of the arms 29. One of the arms 29 is made longer than the rest or is extended beyond its pivotal connection with the coupling-bar 30, as shown at 31, where it has pivotally connected therewith a link 32, which at its opposite end is connected pivotally to the lower end of a thumb-latch lever 33, which is fulcrumed at 34 on one end of a cross-head 35, connected rigidly to the riding-frame. The thumb latch lever carries a dog 35, operatively connected with a thumb-lever 36, arranged at the upper end of the lever 33, and said dog or latch is adapted to engage with the notches of a toothed segment 37, mounted on the crosshead 35 or other convenient part of the riding-frame. The lever 33 is arranged within reach of the rider in his seat 38 on the machine-frame, and when vibrated said lever opcrates through the connections described to simultaneously rock all of the harrow-bars, and thereby change the pitch or inclination of the barrow-teeth. In this way the harrowteeth may be given a forward or rearward inclination with respect to a vertical plane or adjusted so as to stand vertically, according to the condition of the soil and other requirements.

In order to lock the several barrow-bars, each of the barrow-bars is provided with a ratchet-wheel 39, fast thereon, the several ratchet-wheels being adapted'to be engaged and held by means of a corresponding series of pawls 40, fulcrumed intermediate of their ends on the frame of the barrow-section and all pivotally connected to a coupling-bar 41, which at its rear end is connected, by means of a link 42,with the crank 43 of a crank-shaft 44, which extends transversely of the rear of the barrow-section and is journaled in suitable bearings 45, connected to the frame-bars 22 and 23. The crank-shaft 44 is provided at its inner end with an arm 46, to which is pivotally connected one end of a link 47, which extends upward and is pivotally connected to one end of a trip-lever 48, which is fulcrumed on the cross-head 35 and adapted to be operated by the riders foot. When said foot trip-lever 48 is rocked, the crankshaft is turned, thus moving the couplingbar 41 and throwing all of the p'awls outof engagement with the ratchet 39, thereby allowingthe'points of theratchet-teeth to swing rearwardly in a'manner that will readily be understood. It will thus 'be seen that by means of the lever 33 the driver mayfset all of the barrow-teeth at any desired inclination and by pressing upon the trip-lever 48 trip the locking mechanism and allow the narrow-bars to rock in their bearings and the harrow-teeth to swing rearward, so as to prevent injury thereto causedby the machine passing over hard and unyielding obstacles.

It willbe understood that the setting and tripping mechanisms hereinabove described are duplicated on'oppositesides of the machine for each of the harrow-sectionaand the i arrangement is such that the teeth of each barrow-section maybe set and tripped inde-' pendently of the teeth of the other section. 1

The barrow-elevating mechanism "comprises a barrow-elevating lever 50, which is mounted on the riding-fraine within reach'of the driver in his seat on themachine. A cable or flexible connection 51 is attached at one end to thelevcr 50 and passes around direction-pulleys52 and 53 on'the cross-bar 17 and thence downward," where it is prefera ably bifurcated orbranched, the branches 54 thereof extendin g forward and rearward and being permanently connected at their extremities to the central longitudinal bar 23" of oneof the barrow-sections.

The narrow-elevating mechanism just de-.

scribed is duplicated at oppositesides of the machine, so that the harrow-isections'may be simultaneously or independently raised and lowered or elevated entirely clear of the further, that by ground for the purpose of driving to and from the place of operation.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the narrow-sections may be independently raised'a'nd lowered to properly adjust the same to their work or to swing the same entirely clear of the groundwhen the machine is not in Operation: further, that the harrow bars, with their teeth, may be simultaneously and uniformly rocked, so as to set the teeth at the desired pitch for effectively breaking up the soil,a'nd that'when the teeth are set the barrow-bars, to which the teeth are rigidly connected, arejlocked;

means of the tripping mechanism described an of the harrow bars may be simultaneously released for allowing the points of the teeth to s'wingba'ckward for the purpose set forth. It will further be seen that the harrow-secti'ons are followed by self adjusting rollers, which serve to smooth and level'the surface of same has been treated by the narrow-sections. All of the adjusting devices are arranged under theimmediate control of the,

driver in his seatonthemachine.

the ground after the" It will be apparent that the machine is susceptibleof various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims Having thus described the invention,what

is claimed'as new, and desired to be secured.

by Letters Patent, is a 7 1. In a riding-barrow, the combination with the riding-frame, rolling supports therefor,

and harrowsections, each narrow section having an intermediate{centrally-arranged bar and diagonal rods, of a cross-barattached to the riding-frame and havingits-end portions extended over the harrow-sections' and provided medially and 'at itsends with direction-pulleys, independently-mounted operating-levers, and flexible connections attached at one end to the respective operating-levers and passing over the respective sets of Idir'ec tion-pulleys and having theopposite'end con nectedme'dially tothe aforesaid central bar of the respective harrow sections, substantially as set'forth. V

2. In a'riding-harrow,'the combination with the' riding-frame, and rollin'g supports therefor, of harrow sectionssuspended beneath the riding-frameinadvance of the rolling supp0rts,'each barrow-section coinprisingaframe,

parallehharrow-bars j ournaled therein and carrying rigidly-attached teeth, means for simultaneously rocking the harrow -bars means for locking each of'the severaljharrow-bars,

and means under. the controlof the driver' fortripping' the locking mechanism, substantially as described. I

' 3. I In a riding-narrow, the combination with the riding-frame, and rolling supports'therefor, of harrow-sections suspendedbene'ath the riding{frame in ad Vance of the rolling supports, each barrow-section comprising paral' w lel barrow-bars with "rigidly-attached teeth, means for simultaneouslyrockin g all of the harrow-bars and setting the teeth at any 'desired pitch, harrow-bar-locking mechanism consisting of ratchet-wheels on the several harrow bars, a corresponding series 'of .pawls engaging said ratchet-wheels, a coupling-bar operatively connecting all of the 'pa'wls, and operating connections interposed between.

said coupling-bar anda lever under the con trol ofthe driver, whereby all the pawls may be simultaneously tripped, substantially as andfor thepurpose specified.

4. In a riding h'arrow, the combination with connected with said crank-shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BEN ALSUP. [L. s]

Vitnesses:

II. A. SANDERS, SARAH SANDERS. 

